Talk: Naser Nasiri
Speaker: Kübra Ramazan
Shall we start our conversation by getting to know you briefly?
After graduation, I went to the graphic department at the university because of my interest in painting. At the same time, I started painting lessons professionally. Due to my interest in art, I received vocational training for ten years in almost all branches of art, except university. Calligraphy, painting, graphics, cinema, poetry, literature and music.
As a child, I was very interested in poetry and literature. That’s why I wrote and published poetry when I was a student. Later, I published my first poetry book, which was nominated for the Book Award in Iran.
How did you decide to make book designs?
I’ve always had an endless passion for making book covers. Every book cover order is still exciting for me. I don’t really believe in no-image graphics, so illustration is the main part of my work. I think book cover design is a more artistic process compared to other graphic work, commercial or industrial. In fact, the book cover designer is like a writer, always facing a story, narrative and similar creations in his design. Therefore, its effectiveness cannot be superficial.
I love making covers in general and have been teaching the subject at Iranian universities for more than two decades as well as producing book covers for respected Iranian publishers.
What do you think is the importance of the cover design for the integrity of the book? How does the cover affect the book?
The book can be interpreted with any content that contains meaning, that is, the content of the book changes according to the mentality, the meaning and perception of each reader. This is the nature of writing. The designer’s effort should always be to supplement the text or to shine a light on the darkness of the text, but not make it too obvious. This is very important because if the designer is not able to visualize the text correctly, he is reducing its value to his own understanding. Therefore, the role of the cover designer in reaching and progressing the character of a book is as valuable as the author himself and his work.
The book cover creates the entire visual character of the book. In Eastern culture, a book’s cover has a deeper meaning for us than its Western counterparts. In the West, they treat the cover of the book as a kind of packaging, that is, a product package, but in the East, the cover of the book actually protects and supports the text. In other words, the design of the book cover has a direct and very important effect on the construction and development of culture. That’s why I love designing book covers, it’s not just about designing a product; While designing the book cover, we are dealing with the infrastructure of a culture.
Do you read every book you design?
Yes, I’ve read all the books I’ve designed. In general, I can’t imagine the designer wanting to make a cover for a book he knows nothing about or has just listened to. It seems to me that only when the designer reads the text does he become familiar with the form of the language, the details, the technique of the author, the line and relevance of the narrative. Thus, he can establish a better mental relationship with the design. It is not possible to design something without knowing it completely.
How do you choose the works you will design? Have you ever had a hard time designing a book?
I have been dealing with books, culture, literature, cinema and music for over 22 years in Iran, so almost everyone knows me. Of course, he knows what kind of work I do and what kinds of texts I don’t accept. I mostly choose novels, poetry and philosophy. For example, I will never accept a comic book order because my mood in design; poetic and serious. I can’t be a satirist. However, sometimes I have to design for a children’s book, comic book or movie.
If there are designers from Iran and abroad that you follow with interest, could you share their names with us?
Yes, I have been a student of great masters in Iran who are prominent in the world and are one of the foundations of graphic design in the world: Professor Ghobad Shiva, Professor Morteza Momayez, Professor Farshid Mesghali, Professor Nureddin Zarrin Kelk… If I say from Turkey, I follow the works of Mustafa Kara. From Milton Glaser to Alan Lucerne and Michel Foucault in the USA… There are many designers in Turkey and around the world, whose work I love and follow, and who are my friends.
To browse Naser Nasiri’s designs: https://instagram.com/nasernasiri1
Link: https://www.okurdergisi.com/kitabin-kapagi-metni-koruyor-ve-destekliyor/
